Representative Kildee on Wilderness

Representative Kildee on Wilderness Return to Top Level Document

"Representative Kildee on Wilderness"
IMPLEMENTATION OF WILDERNESS ACT OVERSIGHT HEARING

EXPLORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1964 WILDERNESS ACT BY THE FOREST SERVICE, THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE APRIL 15, 1997--WASHINGTON, DC

STATEMENT OF HON DALE E. KILDEE, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM MICHIGAN

  Mr. KILDEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Madam Chair. Thank you for holding this hearing today.

  I would first like to welcome all of our witnesses here today who are testifying, particularly Mr. Ted Nugent and Ms. Kathy Stupak-Thrall, both from my home State of Michigan.

  Mr. Nugent, I would like you to know many members of my staff, along with myself, are big fans of yours; and although our opinion may differ in how to manage our Nation's wilderness areas, we will probably find some areas of agreement, too. I appreciate your deep interest in this issue and your presence here today.

  I have been a member of the committee for the past 15 years, and in that time, I have always believed we need to manage our public lands in a way that benefits the American people. We live in a country where people have diverse interests, tastes and beliefs; that is why I have always supported the concept of multiple use in the management of our Nation's public lands.

  I have supported timber harvesting in our national forests. It is important to have the economy and the health of the forest in mind, and I have advocated for a wide range of recreational activities on the forest, including hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, camping and hiking.

  It is my belief the multiple-use philosophy, a law that led me to write the Michigan Wilderness Act, a law that set aside 92,000 acres of pristine forestland in Michigan so they can be managed much as they came from the hand of God.

  In fact, this year marks, Mr. Chairman and Madam Chair, the tenth anniversary signing of the Michigan Wilderness Act, and in 10 years, these areas have become permanently protected, nothing has changed. And that is the beauty of the wilderness law: Nothing man has done has changed the lands.

  In Michigan, there are 2.7 million acres of national forestland in Michigan's three national forests. Of that, only 92,000 acres are designated as wilderness areas. That means only 3 percent of the national forest land in Michigan is protected as wilderness area.

  I know not everyone is going to visit a wilderness area, but it is nice to know in today's high-paced technological society, there will always be areas people can ski, snowshoe, or paddle a canoe in an absolutely motorless area. This is all possible because in 1964 Congress had the foresight and wisdom to understand that some parts of a forest are too precious to develop.

  I know your interest in the outdoors, Mr. Nugent, and in Michigan, we have a long and very proud history, tradition of hunting and fishing. It is a tradition that my family has enjoyed for five generations in Michigan. In fact, my two sons, who are now lieutenants of the United States Army, are avid hunters and fishermen. My own son got hooked. The first 15 minutes of his first day of deer hunting in Michigan, he bagged a buck; and that has hooked him ever since, and he is a regular hunter. That is why when we wrote the Michigan Wilderness Act; we allowed hunting and fishing in the wilderness areas. We let that be regulated by the State ANR.

  Wilderness areas allow for a variety of public uses of the land, ecological safety of the area. Many of our Nation's wilderness areas are really the crown jewels of our national patrimony. I believe we should be thanking our public land managers for the outstanding job they have done in protecting these lands, and I have been up there visiting the lands, visiting the managers, visiting the people up there. I have had two or three hearings up there on the wilderness areas. I only wish those managers had been invited to testify today so I could thank them in person.

  And thank you, Madam Chair, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to the hearing today.

  Mr. HANSEN. I appreciate the comments of the gentleman from Michigan.